The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-05-26
Washington Letter.

Soldier boys from Puget Sound,
Texas. New Orleans and other points
have already arrived, and Thousands
of others are bowling along over the
railroads on their way to Camp George
Washington. The latter name 10 the
christening that the camp will rsceiye
ON next Monday, when the Drill will
be formally opened. At the camp
ground no drum has beat yet, but the
reveills is sounded by the lively ring
of hundreds of hammers. .h
The busiest scenes are around the
base of the Washington Monument.
scores of men are at work there put.
ting down plank floors for the tents.
Nearly all the Monument grounds
will be appropriated for this purpose.
Scores of carpenters are also working
hard on the grand stand in the Drill
inclosure, from which the contest will
be viewed. The Drill ground is prob
ably the finest piece of grass land
which cou'd have been found for the
purpose in the whole country. 1t is
now entirely enclosed within board
fence twelve feet high. There are
about ten acres of green as smooth and
fiat as a tennis lawn. The plot is ovaf
and the grand stand extends just half
around il. From this the view is very
fine whatever way you look.
To the southwark the white marble
Monument-the highest in the world
-glistens in the sunshine. The view
northward is particularly fine. To the
left lie the magnificent War, State and
Navy Department buildings, and to the
right solid old granite Treasury, while
between the two the White House
smiles through groups of tall green
trees. The COrcoran building, AL
baugh's Theatre and the Panorama
building Of the battle Of Bulls Run
are all near by, and although rather
too far for perfect satisfaction, the roof
of any of them would afford a clear
view Of the entire drill ground.
The Interstate Commerce Commis.
sion has returned home from its wan.
dsrings, and has decided it can best
attend to its duties by remaining in
Washington after this. The Commits
sioners have much work before them
yet before they can give final decis
ion as to the famous long and short
haup clause. The Queen sad Crescent
and the Illinois Central railroads have
not yet presentsd their cases, and their
testimony will be taken here. Other
roads have asked permission to submit
written statements. giving the facts
more in detail than they could in their
testimony before the Commission.
Thsse documents will take time for
consideration. The testimony the
Commission took on its trip has not
yet been written out, and when 1t is it
will have to be gene over carefully, 30
that you see there is considerable work
to be done before a decision can be
reached.
The new rules adopted by the Civil
Service Commission and approved by
the President have been the sole topic
of discussion among Department
clerks for the past fortnight. The ag.
itation among the old employees is al.
most painful to see. These people are
very panicky nowadays at best, and
anything locking to q more rigid
wedding out of Republicans frightens
them, rs well it may. Most of them
would be in q deplerable condition If
removed from their official positions.
Nothing is calculated to cause great
er conformation in Washington than
the contingency of dismissal based on
the application of new and strange
conditions. Whenever a vacancy oc-
ours all the clerks of the Department
in the class below it must become can
didatss for promotion and face the
competitive examination. They have
no discretion in the matter, for the
order is mandatory. Thus, not only
does the clerk best fitted for the posi-
ton get the vacant place, but the status
of all the rest is ascertained. Persons
who get an average of IS per cent. in
the markings ofthe examiners, as you
remember, are secure in their positions
and are declared eligible for promo.
ton. All who fail to obtain that av-
erage sre re examined in six months.
and, if they again fail, they become
eligible to reduction or dismissal OF
course the terrible chances involved
in the new rules cause great excite.
ment among Government employees
Four-fifths of all of them in Washing.
ton were appointed for supposed party
service, under Republican administra-
tions, and while many of them are in.
competent, they have held their places
because it was difficult to get rid of
them. It 10 to be hoped these rules
will enable the heads of bureaus to
cast Off some barnacles and to promote
deserving subordinates; at any rate
they will be sure to compel degree of
studious application hitherto un.
known in Washington.